Expert views on Consultus

Marjorie Seldon - the sister of founder Anne Palmer Seldon - is cared for by Sherrell Van Biljon, with Celia Hoare, Care at Home manager, and Peter Seldon, of Consultus

Consultus certainly has a challenge ahead, not only in kicking off a marketing campaign, given they’re not a traditional care home provider, but they also face an environment where the public will be more cynical about care messages after recent high-profile cases in the media of poor care standards.

Care at home is an intimate issue and one for which issues of trust and credibility of the service providers lie at the absolute core. I would actually recommend that its current word-of-mouth introduction method is a strong place on which to build. It means that Consultus has a number of satisfied customers who are willing to go on the record about the company’s reputation and the high level of service they have received.

It’s also worth mentioning that the company’s client base tends to be wealthy and they will be receptive to communications which show people like them being happy with the service.

Decision-making on care provision tends to take place at difficult times in clients’ or their families’ lives. Marketing therefore needs to be clear, empathetic and focused on what Consultus ultimately delivers – a family-run service providing greater independence and allowing people to live in their homes for as long as possible, supported by reputable and well-trained care staff.

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Depending on whether their reach is local or national, I would advise on TV, radio and the press for exposure and brand recognition, and a well-targeted direct-mail brochure campaign for starters.

Martin Leuw, Chairman, incube8it

An ageing UK population and the healthy profit margins of Consultus provide Peter with a sound platform for growth.

However, barriers to entry are quite low here and before embarking on an acquisition strategy, ensure that the existing business has a strong, organic, predictable growth engine and a streamlined, efficient operating base, so that bolt-ons add real value.

Consistent processes and technology are essential, as data on customers, carers and prospects are the lifeblood of the business.

Lots of acquisitions fail, either because due diligence doesn’t identify the issues or because the post-acquisition plan is incomplete or non-existent, with no conception of the real synergies. It helps to have a clear set of cultural values and a vision of what he is looking to achieve through buying: geographical expansion

beyond Kent? Access to a wider pool of carers? New service capabilities, such as more intensive medical?

Communicating to the marketplace that he is on the acquisition trail will get the

deal flow started and “retirement sales” may well

be a good starting point as there is both a need to sell and often to find a good home for the business. Building relationships with vendors is essential, as are acquisitions, which become self-funding quite quickly through their own cash flow and the value which Consultus is adding.

However, when in any doubt, it is essential he walks away, rather than get emotionally drawn into a bad deal.

Bryony Thomas, Author, Watertight Marketing

I couldn’t disagree more with whichever marketing agency told Peter Seldon that generating most of their business through referrals is an 'indictment of useless marketing’. When someone is making an important purchasing decision, they don’t do it lightly. They’ll talk to people they trust because it’s a decision that matters. This is true in any considered purchase, but given that the client’s wellbeing is at stake, word of mouth is Consultus’ most important asset.

So far this has been achieved through one-to-one attention. Like those home visits by Anne Palmer Stevens. To achieve the ambitious growth plans; Peter needs to maintain these values, whilst keeping it scalable. This means understanding how people really buy in this market. Choosing a live-in carer will never happen off the back of a quick Google search. It’s a considered process, which Peter needs to understand inside out.

He needs to work out who people talk to, and the most effective tools for supporting this difficult decision. Does this mean video case studies of existing clients, or their families talking about the care they’ve received? Or, would this market prefer to see things written down? Knowing who people trust, and how people digest information is critical in choosing where to put your marketing money.

Once you’ve identified the questions clients will ask and the people involved, and formats or tools they typically look to in answering those questions, you can create your marketing plan.

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